The Billings Gazette reports today that three BPD officers have been suspended without pay for two weeks for “sex on city property with a civilian employee of the department.” The lurid details about the sexual encounters, including sex in or near a car and in the basement of City Hall, are newsworthy and the original outlet that broke the story was absolutely right to publish it.

What’s troubling about the story, though, is that Billings Police Chief Rich St. John decided not to name the three officers, calling them “really good officers who made very, very poor decisions,” but did name the female civilian employee the three officers had sex with.

That’s an indefensible, sexist decision, perhaps motivated by a desire to shame the former employee who was involved in a dispute with the BPD after the alleged sexual encounters took place.

And while St. John told the Gazette he may name the three officers later in the week, it’s clear he hopes not to, believing that they’ve learned their lesson from the punishment they’ve received.

I’m inclined to agree with St. John that the officers should not lose their jobs and even that their suspensions represent fair punishments, but it’s indefensible to name the woman involved, especially considering that, at the time of the incidents, her job was a clerical position that did not involve a matter of public trust.

For a host of reasons, it’s critically important that we remind law enforcement in this country that, rather than seeing themselves as above the law, they must be held to a higher standard of conduct and release of information.

If you appreciate an independent voice holding Montana politicians accountable and informing voters, and you can throw a few dollars a month our way, we would certainly appreciate it.

Support Our Work!

Don Pogreba

Don Pogreba is an eighteen-year teacher of English, former debate coach, and loyal, if often sad, fan of the San Diego Padres and Portland Timbers. He spends far too many hours of his life working at school and on his small business, Big Sky Debate.
His work has appeared in Politico and Rewire.
In the past few years, travel has become a priority, whether it's a road trip to some little town in Montana or a museum of culture in Ísafjörður, Iceland.